Cost of a Chest CT Scan Visit
in Virginia
Reviewed by Momentary Medical Group West PC
Virginia's diverse healthcare landscape spans from the academic medical centers of Richmond and Charlottesville to rural community hospitals across the Shenandoah Valley, creating significant variation in Chest CT Scan costs throughout the state. Based on transparency data from major insurers, patients typically pay between $41 and $371 for a Chest CT Scan, with a median out-of-pocket cost of $134. Virginia hosts 2,895 active providers offering Chest CT Scan services, giving patients substantial choice when browsing all providers in Virginia.
Average
$182
Median
$134
Lowest
$41
Highest
$371
Providers
2,895
40% below national average
Compare Similar Procedures
How does ct chest compare to related procedures in Virginia?
| Procedure | CPT | Low | Median | High | Providers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MRI Brain MRI of the brain with and without contrast | 70553 | $76 | $265 | $970 | 3,183 |
| MRI Knee MRI of the knee without contrast | 73721 | $45 | $172 | $569 | 3,190 |
| MRI Lumbar Spine MRI of the lumbar spine without contrast | 72148 | $49 | $157 | $553 | 3,167 |
| CT Abdomen & Pelvis CT scan of abdomen and pelvis with contrast | 74177 | $60 | $214 | $514 | 2,957 |
Important: These are cost estimates only — not a quote and not medical advice.
The prices on this page are self-pay rates, drawn from federal Transparency in Coverage machine-readable files (CPT 71260 — CT chest with contrast). They represent what a patient might pay without insurance.
Your actual cost depends on: your specific insurance plan, your remaining deductible, your coinsurance percentage, whether you have met your out-of-pocket maximum, whether the facility and provider are both in-network, and any separate anesthesia or implant fees billed independently.
This page does not constitute medical advice. Whether you need this procedure, and which approach is right for you, is a decision to make with a licensed healthcare provider.
Where this data comes from & what CPT 71260 covers
Data source: Cost figures are derived from UnitedHealthcare Transparency in Coverage machine-readable files for CPT code 71260 (CT chest with contrast), as mandated by the CMS Price Transparency Rule.
What CPT 71260 covers: the provider's professional fee for ct chest. It does not include facility/hospital fees, anesthesia, pre-operative imaging, post-operative care, or any add-on codes billed separately.
How to read this data
Negotiated Rate
The discounted price an insurer has agreed to pay a specific provider. Most insured patients' bills are calculated from this number, not the higher list price hospitals publish separately.
P5, Median, P95
P5 is the rate at the 5th percentile (low end), Median is the middle value, and P95 is the 95th percentile (high end). This range shows how much the same visit can vary between providers.
What this does not tell you
These rates do not tell you what you personally will pay out of pocket. That depends on your specific plan, how much of your deductible you have already met, your coinsurance rate, and whether the provider is in your network. Call your insurer's member line to get your exact estimate.
Why Chest CT Scan Visit Costs Vary Across Virginia
Virginia's healthcare costs run approximately 3% above the national average, reflecting the state's mix of expensive Northern Virginia suburbs near Washington DC and more affordable rural regions throughout central and southwestern areas. The Commonwealth's moderate but growing ambulatory surgery center market provides cost-effective alternatives to traditional hospital-based imaging services.
Urban vs. Rural Provider Availability
Northern Virginia's proximity to Washington DC creates a concentration of high-end imaging facilities and subspecialty practices, while rural counties in Appalachian Virginia often rely on critical access hospitals with limited advanced imaging capabilities. This geographic disparity forces some patients to travel significant distances for specialized chest imaging, potentially increasing total episode costs including transportation and time off work.
Facility Type and Overhead Costs
Hospital-based outpatient imaging departments at major Virginia health systems like Sentara, Carilion, and Inova typically charge facility fees that can double the total cost compared to freestanding imaging centers. Independent radiology practices often operate with lower overhead costs and can pass those savings to patients, particularly for routine chest imaging that doesn't require hospital-level resources.
Insurance Market Competition in Virginia
The presence of strong regional players like Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield and Optima Health alongside national carriers creates moderate competition that helps contain imaging costs compared to monopolistic markets. Virginia's insurance market structure allows for meaningful negotiation between payers and providers, though the dominance of large health systems in certain regions can limit pricing flexibility.
Physician Supply and Demand in Virginia
With 2,895 active providers offering Chest CT Scan services, Virginia maintains adequate radiologist availability relative to its population, preventing the supply shortages that drive up costs in other states. This healthy provider supply supports competitive pricing and reasonable appointment availability, though subspecialty thoracic imaging expertise remains concentrated in academic medical centers and larger metropolitan areas.
Jayant Panwar
CEO, Momentary Labs · San Francisco, CA
Jayant has analyzed healthcare pricing data from CMS Transparency in Coverage files since 2022, covering more than 50 million negotiated rate records across all 50 states. His work focuses on making insurer machine-readable files accessible to patients and researchers.
The cost figures on this page reflect his ongoing work to make this data accessible to patients.
Frequently Asked Questions — Chest CT Scan Costs in Virginia
What is the average cost of a Chest CT Scan visit in Virginia without insurance?
Does Virginia Medicaid cover Chest CT Scan visits?
How do I find an affordable Chest CT Scan near me in Virginia?
What is the difference in cost between an initial consultation and a follow-up visit?
Can I use an HSA or FSA to pay for a Chest CT Scan visit in Virginia?
How does telemedicine affect the cost of seeing a Chest CT Scan in Virginia?
Click a state to compare costs
Average Visit Cost
Office visit (CPT 71260)
Compare With Other States
| Rank | State | Average↓ |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota Range: $118 – $7,881 | $2,723 |
| 2 | Minnesota Range: $80 – $7,881 | $2,711 |
| 3 | Wisconsin Range: $73 – $863 | $363 |
| 4 | Georgia Range: $61 – $699 | $319 |
| 5 | Wyoming Range: $54 – $598 | $287 |
| 6 | Nevada Range: $80 – $453 | $272 |
| 7 | Maine Range: $93 – $439 | $262 |
| 8 | Nebraska Range: $108 – $415 | $246 |
| 9 | Hawaii Range: $67 – $348 | $243 |
| 10 | New Mexico Range: $52 – $505 | $242 |
| 11 | Iowa Range: $73 – $424 | $237 |
| 12 | Vermont Range: $49 – $516 | $236 |
| 13 | North Carolina Range: $60 – $443 | $233 |
| 14 | New Hampshire Range: $67 – $446 | $232 |
| 15 | Massachusetts Range: $64 – $454 | $230 |
| 16 | Rhode Island Range: $54 – $454 | $226 |
| 17 | Alaska Range: $54 – $449 | $224 |
| 18 | District of Columbia Range: $49 – $454 | $223 |
| 19 | Colorado Range: $55 – $441 | $218 |
| 20 | Utah Range: $54 – $374 | $212 |
| 21 | California Range: $25 – $521 | $210 |
| 22 | Indiana Range: $54 – $411 | $206 |
| 23 | New York Range: $42 – $443 | $205 |
| 24 | Washington Range: $54 – $384 | $203 |
| 25 | Michigan Range: $57 – $356 | $195 |
| 26 | Illinois Range: $64 – $346 | $192 |
| 27 | Tennessee Range: $61 – $333 | $188 |
| 28 | Pennsylvania Range: $50 – $389 | $185 |
| 29 | West Virginia Range: $64 – $317 | $184 |
| 30 | Virginia Range: $41 – $371 | $182 |
| 31 | Idaho Range: $54 – $321 | $182 |
| 32 | New Jersey Range: $41 – $371 | $181 |
| 33 | Connecticut Range: $54 – $389 | $179 |
| 34 | Texas Range: $54 – $345 | $178 |
| 35 | South Carolina Range: $54 – $339 | $178 |
| 36 | Kansas Range: $59 – $324 | $178 |
| 37 | Oregon Range: $70 – $291 | $177 |
| 38 | South Dakota Range: $134 – $222 | $175 |
| 39 | Alabama Range: $48 – $332 | $173 |
| 40 | Delaware Range: $61 – $273 | $170 |
| 41 | Louisiana Range: $48 – $288 | $169 |
| 42 | Kentucky Range: $54 – $335 | $169 |
| 43 | Arkansas Range: $61 – $278 | $164 |
| 44 | Montana Range: $54 – $263 | $163 |
| 45 | Maryland Range: $24 – $335 | $161 |
| 46 | Mississippi Range: $48 – $307 | $160 |
| 47 | Missouri Range: $64 – $265 | $159 |
| 48 | Oklahoma Range: $51 – $298 | $154 |
| 49 | Ohio Range: $41 – $298 | $154 |
| 50 | Arizona Range: $54 – $267 | $145 |
| 51 | Florida Range: $35 – $297 | $131 |